TOYOTA LAND CRUISER INVINCIBLE 2.8 D-4D AUTOMATIC.

When you’ve got a vehicle in your lineup as legendary as the Land Cruiser, the key to success is continuous evolution. Small improvements dotted throughout the model’s life will ensure that you have something new for customers that change their car regularly. This approach, Toyota has got down to a fine art, with the latest car benefiting from a brand new 174bhp 2.8-litre D-4D engine and six-speed automatic transmission that meets the latest Euro-6 emissions regulations. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are both improved - up by 3.3mpg and down by 19g/km, respectively - but power and torque figures are disappointingly less than before. But despite the power cut, the on-road driving experience is enhanced compared to before. Performance is adequate, and while the engine is chattery from cold, it settles down a fair bit when warmed through. You’ll still hear it, especially when you floor the throttle, but at motorway speeds it settles down to a low roar, while road and wind noise are kept reasonably well in check. There’s a vagueness to the steering, however, cornering prowess is pretty good, with low levels of lean through bends, and generous amounts of grip. A choice of ‘comfort’ or ‘sport’ modes for the suspension means that things get too bouncy and wallowy in the former setting, but nicely firmed up in the latter, with all but the deepest of potholes and severest of undulations soaked up well, making the Sport mode the setting of choice for us. Off road, show the Land Cruiser a muddy field or a heavily rutted track and it’ll eat it up and spit it out - its mug plugging prowess far exceeds its ability on the road. The interior of the Land Cruiser has been steadily improved over time, with better and better materials used along the way. The majority of the plastics are of the soft-touch variety and all of the fixtures and fittings feel like they’ve been screwed together nicely and will stand up to a lifetime’s worth of abuse. The wood trim seems outdated to us, while the steering wheel would be better if it was covered entirely in leather, rather than having the slippery feel of the wood. Controls for the four-wheel-drive system dominate the centre console, with all of the buttons logically arranged up high on the dashboard. The navigation screen is ideally placed and easy to use, with clear and colourful graphics. Visibility is generally good all around the car thanks to its square shape and good sized windows, though the rear wiper is next to useless due to the small area that it wipes. Park it in tight spaces and you’ll curse the side opening tailgate, and wish that it had a more conventional up and over arrangement. The space available is also smaller than most rivals, despite the vehicle’s obvious bulk. Oddment space is well catered for thanks to a large cubby hole underneath the armrest, decently sized door pockets and glovebox, and a pair of cupholders. Even with a sunroof fitted, headroom is pretty good both front and rear, and back seat passengers will be impressed by the amount of knee room. The usual caveats apply when it comes to using the sixth and seventh seat in the back, with passengers likely to want the journey to be as short as possible, unless they’re a youngster.

MAZDA news.

Already installed under the bonnets of the Mazda2 and CX-3, the Japanese firm has now begun selling versions of the Mazda3 with the 103bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine. For the first time, Mazda’s medium-sized car is capable of emitting less than 100g/km of CO2, with the new powerplant achieving 74.3mpg and emissions of just 99g/km. It’s offered with both five-door hatchback and four-door Fastback bodystyles, and the choice of manual or automatic transmission - the latter exclusive to hatchback editions. The new engine is capable of achieving a maximum speed of 116mph and accelerates to 62mph in 11.0 seconds. Maximum torque of 199lb ft is produced between 1,600 and 2,500rpm. Available in each of the five trim levels - SE, SE Nav, SE-L, SE-L Nav and Sport Nav - prices start at Ј18,895 for the SE 1.5-litre diesel hatchback and Fastback, while the flagship of the line-up, the Sport Nav 1.5 diesel automatic hatchback is priced at Ј23,145. On sale since 1st December, the first examples are arriving in UK showrooms about now.

Moto 3 Team Launch.

It’s no secret any longer that Peugeot Scooters, post their partnership with Mahindra and with the active involvement of Mahindra Racing, will be joining the 2016 Moto3 grid. The team was formally launched at EICMA 2015 with the 28-year-old Frenchman Alexis Masbou and 21-year-old Scotsman John McPhee announced as the two riders who will lead the French charge on the Moto3 racing grid. The team, officially known as Peugeot Saxo Print Racing Team, will be managed by Terell B Thien.